A Well-Rounded Education
When one thinks of required reading for school, what are the first books that come to mind? To Kill a Mockingbird? The Great Gatsby? The Giver? What about when it comes to history class, who are the people that are being talked about? Or, who wrote the history books? What most of these things have in common is that they are stories by white authors centered around white stories, whether they be real people and events or fictional. When we look at systemic racism and the issue of the inclusion of people of color in society, it can be undeniably overwhelming; however, a simple way to start dismantling systemic racism is changing what is taught in American schools.
No matter what grade one is in, a large portion of educational content is spent reading popular, “classic” books. Most books read in school are from a white perspective; even if people of color are included in narratives, they are often side characters or heavily stereotyped. It is important to make sure the selected books come from a wide range of authors with different backgrounds, so students can learn about diverse groups of people. It is also important to not limit people of color’s stories to stories of trauma, but also stories of fun and relatable aspects of life that can echo a larger lesson.
Additionally, when it comes to history class, students often learn a very oversimplified version of it told from a white perspective. When history is taught in this way, it allows students to form stereotypes that contribute to the development of unconscious biases. History should be taught through multiple lenses, and most importantly, students should be taught how to think about history in various ways.
While diversifying school curriculum seems like a long and lengthy process, it is important to voice the desire and importance of it and address the issue of diversity in current events as well. New Jersey Assemblywoman Carol Murphy states how she listened to students and families express concern regarding their school curriculum and later passed a bill that required classes on diversity (CNN). After the Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020, many schools have started to reevaluate what they are teaching in schools and started to incorporate race, equity, and inclusion classes allowing students to uncover implicit biases and how the history of racism shows its effects today.
School is a significant place to promote inclusion and diversity because it creates a generation of new thinkers with many perspectives. Diversifying school curriculums is vital in the process to dismantle racism and teach students as best as possible.
